One dead, one on the loose in Clinton Township ‘gun battle’

Ladria Johnson of Mount Clemens, hugs her mother after she witnessed the bank robbery attempt at Bank of America in Clinton Township on Thursday afternoon. One gunman was killed and a second was wounded in a shootout with a guard. RAY SKOWORNEK--THE MACOMB DAILY

Evidence markers show the casings from the guns used in Thursday’s shootout at Bank of America in Clinton Township. RAY SKOWRONEK--THE MACOMB DAILY

Clinton Township police on Friday hope to find out the identity of the masked gunman who was shot and killed in a “gun battle” with an armored car services guard outside of a local bank as well as the name of a second suspect who escaped after being shot.

Investigators late Thursday were still looking for the second suspect, who abandoned a bloodied getaway vehicle and likely was injured in the shootout.

Detective Capt. Richard Maierle said the deceased gunman’s fingerprints will be analyzed in the Michigan State Police Crime Lab, which will let police know who they were dealing with.

“Right now, we don’t even know who this guy is,” Maierle said. “Once we identify him, then we can work to put the pieces to the puzzle together.”

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The incident unfolded about 1 p.m. Thursday after police received a report of shots fired in the front parking lot of Bank of America on Gratiot Avenue north of Metropolitan Parkway.

Investigators said a GardaWorld security officer was walking out of the bank with a “sizable” amount of the bank’s cash when he was confronted by a man armed with a six-shot revolver.

Police Chief Fred Posavetz said the gunman announced a robbery and grabbed the bag containing the cash from the security officer. As the gunman started to move toward a getaway vehicle, the guard drew his weapon and “there was a gun battle.”

“They tried to take down an armored car and it all went bad for them,” Posavetz said.

Police said the gunman was killed as he fired at the guard, who responded with about 13 shots. The guard was wearing a bullet-resistant vest and was not injured, and a second guard in the truck also was not hurt.

All of the money -- described as “well over” $20,000 -- was recovered, authorities said.

As the gunfire erupted, a silver Chrysler Town & Country minivan carrying at least one accomplice, drove off. Police from Clinton Township, Michigan State Police and the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office conducted a search of the area of Harrington and Gratiot and found the vehicle about two blocks from the bank on Remick and Stair streets.

Two schools were placed on lockdown -- McGlinnen Elementary on Sunnyview Street and Faith Christian School, east of the shooting on N. Remick and Ulrich streets -- as police searched for the man.

Fresh blood stains were in the vehicle, leading police to believe the second suspect was hit in the shootout. The minivan was reported stolen out of Detroit. Police notified area hospitals about a possible gunshot victim seeking medical attention.

No one inside of the bank was hurt during the incident, although at least two motorists said their cars were struck in the crossfire.

Ladria Johnson of Mount Clemens, who was inside the bank, said “everybody hit the floor” when they heard shots.

“I heard gunshots and everybody got down,” she said.

Moments before the shooting she stood from a spot where one the bullets hit.

“I was just thanking God the whole time I was OK,” she said. “Thanking God my children was not with me, thanking God that I didn’t get shot that I was up away from that bullet before he started to shoot.”

Jeffrey Hernandez and his wife, Andrea, were driving by the scene when they heard the gunshots and saw the fallen robber in the parking lot. Andrea Hernandez, who is a nurse, told her husband to stop to assist the injured man.

They said the man wore a mask, black combat pants, gloves, and a “SWAT-style” bullet proof vest.

“We heard pop, pop, pop and we turned to see the guard shooting,” Jeffrey Hernandez said. “When we got over there, the guy was on the ground, twitching. I said ‘Are you all right?’ and he didn’t respond. He was just shaking on the ground and then he stopped.”

Diane Zontini of Clinton Township was parked on the other side of Gratiot during the shootout. She found a bullet embedded in the side of her 2005 GT Mustang when she came out of a store. “I think this is pretty crazy,” she said.

Posavetz, the police chief, was asked by reporters if the guard was justified in shooting at the gunman and the fleeing vehicle.

“I think so,” he said. “He was in fear for his life. There’s no telling what the mindset is of someone holding a gun to you.”

A spokesman for the Montreal-based GardaWorld declined to comment on any policies they have concerning the use of force.

“We are fully cooperating with the authorities in the investigation into the incident and cannot provide any additional details,” Joe Gavaghan, director of corporate communications, said in an email.

This is the second time this month the company has landed in the news.

Guards accidentally left a bag containing $21,000 from an Atlantic City casino on the roof of a truck and drove off, dropping the money in the process. The money was never located and GardaWorld this week agreed to reimburse Revel Casino & Hotel.